KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth has questioned the state’s Barisan Nasional (BN) Plus formula, which it called nothing more than a temporary solution to accommodate BN-friendly ministers no longer officially with the coalition.
PRS Youth deputy chief Sempurai Petrus warned in a statement that the formula, which includes BN-friendly parties United People’s Party (UPP) and Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras), had repercussions on official BN component parties.
Disagreeing with the move to endorse UPP and Teras as state BN partners, he said any attempt to create a temporary shelter for their leaders would affect the solidarity of state BN component parties.
“We in PRS Youth believe in the coalition spirit and loyalty within BN.
“Any move to disrupt harmony will only weaken BN and its component parties. In the end, the formula will further split this partnership.
“We hope our leaders will learn from previous experience and history that any attempt to create temporary shelter for ministers and leaders outside
BN would definitely bring serious repercussions on BN as a whole,” he said in response to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s support for UPP and Teras as BN Plus parties during a rally on Thursday.
The national BN chairman had stressed the need for BN and BN Plus parties to remain united, especially during the 11th state election, which must be called by June next year to ensure that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem would secure a strong mandate from the people.
Meanwhile, PRS Youth publicity chief Bit Surang said both UPP and Teras must use their own symbols when contesting in the next state election as the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) did during the 1983 state polls.
“If the BN Plus formula that Adenan is talking about is to solve the current political problem, then PRS understands, but if the BN Plus formula is used to split the Dayaks and the Chinese, PRS definitely disagrees,” he stressed.
The BN Plus formula was reintroduced last year when elected representatives quit the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) to form UPP and the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) to join Teras.
Most of the elected representatives are ministers and assistant ministers under Adenan’s administration.
From UPP are Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Assistant Minister of Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Opar assemblyman Ranum Mina and Engkilili
assemblyman Johnical Rayong Ngipa; while from Teras are Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Peter
Nansian, AssistantMinister of Public Utilities (Water Supply) Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran, Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Education Rosey Yunus and Batu Danau assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang.